Disclosure of personal information on social media: The impact of commitment to the medium, extraversion and social influence

This paper reports on research into the impact of commitment, extraversion and social influence on the willingness of individuals to disclose personal information on social media. An online survey was conducted among 135 Facebook users. Commitment was examined as a concept consisting of three components: affective commitment, normative commitment and continuance commitment. Social influence was conceptualized as consisting of the social influence of friends and the social influence of image. The social influence of friends and affective commitment demonstrated a strongly positive and significant influence on individual's willingness to disclose personal information on Facebook. Neither normative commitment nor continuance commitment, nor extraversion or the social influence of image demonstrated a significant influence on willingness to disclose personal information on Facebook. These findings highlight the core rationale for social media, and that is to establish an environment that nurtures love, friendship and fosters relationship building and maintenance. The practical implications of the findings for businesses and organizations generally are discussed, and areas for future research identified.